The integrated circuit package is the building block used in a high performance electronic system to provide applications for usage in products such as wireless communications equipment, military devices, industrial robotics, spacecraft, and a vast line of high performance products from consumer to state-of-the art high performance applications. The integrated circuit such as a chip or die contains circuitry designed to function in a high performance electronic system.
The integrated circuit package can include a package base or package substrate providing a mounting structure for attachment of at least one chip or die and an enclosure such as an epoxy applied on it to protect its contents. The circuitry within a package commonly consists of integrated circuits built onto one side, such as the top, of a piece of semiconductor material such as silicon chip or die. Typically, one side of the chip or die is used primarily for the mounting the chip or die.
The other side of the chip or die, referred to as an active surface of the chip or die, has electrically conductive areas that provide for electrical connections to its circuitry. Connectors, consisting of electrically conductive material, attach to the conductive areas to provide electrical connection between the circuitry of the chip or die and other circuitry not of the same chip or die. The connectors also provide connections between leads, such as electrically conductive material, which are used to provide connections between the circuitry within the package and the printed circuit board outside the package within the electronic system.
The demand for multiple chip or die assemblies contained within a single integrated circuit package continues to grow worldwide. Typically, multiple chip or die are assembled over or next to one another within a single package to maximize circuitry while minimizing the physical size of the integrated circuit package. A die paddle, such as a conductive platform, is often attached below all of the circuitry to assist in production or performance of the resulting packaged circuitry within the integrated circuit package.
Integrated circuit packages having small footprints with multiple high performance circuitries require that the length of the connectors connecting the circuitry with the leads be as small as possible. This is accomplished by designing each of the leads to be as close as possible to targeted connection areas of the circuitry.
A solution used to minimize the distance between the leads and the circuitry is to locate the leads centrally within the integrated circuit package. Multiple die or chips can be mounted above, next to, and below the leads. The problem with this approach is that the die or chip located furthest above or below the leads continue to have long distances between the leads and the circuitry of the die or chip when compared to the circuitry located close to the centrally located leads.
Yet another possible solution used to minimize the distance between the leads and the circuitry is to modify the leads to include downset extensions. The downset extensions are created by extending the length of the leads and directing the downset extensions towards the lower half of the integrated circuit package. Multiple die or chips can be mounted on or below the downset extensions to minimize the distance between the leads and the circuitry.
Since the die or chips are located on or below the downset extensions, the die or chips are restricted to the lower half of the integrated circuit package limiting the amount of die or chip circuitry that can be contained within the integrated circuit package.
Attempts have failed to provide a complete solution addressing simplified manufacturing processing, high performance circuitry, smaller dimensions, lower costs due to design flexibility, reduced package counts, increased functionality, leveragability, and increased IO connectivity capabilities.
In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.